


Escape from Pain's Dark Touch

by deannawol



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-02
Updated: 2011-09-02
Packaged: 2017-10-23 08:50:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/248466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deannawol/pseuds/deannawol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a Kradamadness Prompt:</p><p>Come away, O human child!<br/>To the waters and the wild<br/>With a faery, hand in hand,<br/>For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.</p><p>- From The Stolen Child by W. B. Yeats</p>
            </blockquote>





	Escape from Pain's Dark Touch

He flitted around the woodlands, bouncing from bough to branch and back again, frolicking and flickering as he went. Autumn walked the world and behind it, stepping at it's heels, was Winter's touch. A chill in the air and the start of a journey from greenest green to deadened brown on the leaves, it was his last night within the confines of the mortal world and in truth it held no stór for him.

Mortal lives were complicated and long distance from the simplicity of the Fae realm, but so The Pact stated and so shall it ever be, he spent his Summers there with kith and kin, their only joy their rachous games and laughter as they twinkled and led mortal feet astray. Midsummer long forgot and Samhain was upon them, tonight was their farewell to the world for another year. But he could feel the magic in the air this night and where magic flowed, wonder followed.

Tonight was to be a faery feast but by Goddess' hand, he knew there would be one sent amongst them that would change the flow of his life. And change would be welcomed. For too long had he walked the path, tricking and kidding the world behind wild and wonderous guise. There were depths to him that were deeply hidden, and for good reason. To lose faith in your own fae nature was to lose your Croí and without that a faery could not hope to return to the Summerlands and Winter's bite was harsh indeed. Too harsh a bite for fae folkling to survive by all accords. But even threat of that was not enough to bend him willingly to the Faery King's commands.

The Pact did not sit well with the Faery King and he challenged it at every opportunity, delighting the courts by announcing japes and follies until even the larks sang at the haphazard treaty and the fools that had drawn it and demanded that the Fae agree to it. But what stupid creatures mortal men were they that didn't know the beast with whom they dared to compel. And while Fae delighted in their tricksy nature, he tired of the games, of the never ending madness and merriment. He wanted to play and traipse and laugh and sing and sing and sing.

Footsteps echoed through the woods. Loud stomping footsteps with vicious mutterings. They played through the leaves, whispering to his ears, urgent and needy and he had to see, had to see. He ducked and dived around the trees, racing, chasing, bouncing and bounding until he found the source. There, stuck amongst the trees, sitting, back against the leeside of an old oak tree was a mortal, a beautiful mortal who looked to have stepped straight from the Hall of the Night Fae. Beautiful, and dangerous and... Sad.

He didn't know why the thought crossed his mind but once there, nothing could wipe the truth from the winds. He moved, from tree to tree, creeping closer, ever closer until those clear blue eyes shone through the clearing. His heart hurt with mirrored pain and sadness and the terrible feel of a broken heart. But somewhere deep within, there was hope and with hope the chance of life begun once more.

His croí stirred at the spark of hope bouncing bright between them and fluttered to life, flickering like the last ember of firelight under newly dried leaves. He opened his lips and song poured out, note after note after note, picked up by the breeze and carried to the mortal's ears. Swelling around the woodlands with harmonies made by nature herself, the mortal sat up, eyes searching for him. But he flitted to the next trunk, still singing. And then, the most wonderful thing happened, the mortal picked up the melody and the song and it was magnificent. Notes high enough to touch the stars soared with his own and mixed and mingled to create a music the like of which had never been heard before.

Magic tingled through him, filling him from the tips of his toes through to the tops of his wings. It hung from the notes and bound them together in an intricate dance. Neither could falter or fail while the other's chorus rang true across the clearing. Gossamer fine wings lifted him and carried him unbidden closer and closer to the mortal man.

Crystal blue eyes darkened as they beheld him and his croí filled to the brim with warmth. Above them, the sky grew dark as night stalked the world but here in the woodlands, it was day bright as he glowed once again. This mortal, this beautiful mortal was the reason, fanning the flames in some wonderous, unknowable way. Fate, destiny, something drew them together and healed the heart of a weary fae. But more... There was more. He could feel it within him with a certainty that rivalled the knowledge that day followed night and Winter followed Autumn.

As dawn kissed the world, he'd return to the Summerlands but not alone this time. This year he would be bringing this beautiful man with him, this extravagantly beautiful man and the courts would scarce survive. So the magic whispered and so would it be.

With his croí and the magic guiding them, he danced and pranced and led merry chase through the trees, his feet bewitched by stronger force than he. Step by step and dance by dance, the mortal followed until the faery mound before them stood. By shared song's strength, the doorway opened and in stepped one and in stepped two. His croí wrapped the mortal man, offering hearts protection to the mortal until into the banquet hall they stepped.

Knowing well the tales, the mortal made his choice. Drinking deep on hospitality, blue eyes met brown and fate smiled down as the next Fae age began.


End file.
